The All-American Baseball Challenge was a six-team recreational baseball league formed in July 2020 in the New York City metropolitan area . Local ownership quickly organized this pop-up league in response to the cancellation of the 2020 Frontier League season, which was to feature three of the teams involved, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
23-703: Games were played at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, New Jersey , Skylands Stadium in Augusta, New Jersey , and Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona, New York . Each stadium featured two teams, which included the New Jersey Jackals and Sussex County Miners each playing in their home parks. The owners of the New York Boulders also fielded a team in their stadium, but the team kept
46-952: A home run derby to decide the winning team. A player on each team took five batting practice swings and the player with more home runs won the game for his team. GameChanger was the official scoring/statistical tracking platform for the league. Round 1 September 11, 2020 Skylands Stadium (4) New York Brave 5 (1) Sussex County Miners 1 Palisades Credit Union Park (3) New Jersey Jackals 11 (2) Rockland Boulders 2 Yogi Berra Stadium (6) Skylands Cardinals 0 (5) Jersey Wise Guys 3 Round 2 September 12, 2020 Championship game Yogi Berra Stadium (4) New York Brave 2 (3) New Jersey Jackals 3 3rd place game Skylands Stadium (5) Jersey Wise Guys 1 (1) Sussex County Miners 5 5th place game Palisades Credit Union Park (6) Skylands Cardinals 7 (2) Rockland Boulders 6 Yogi Berra Stadium Yogi Berra Stadium
69-787: A minor league baseball team based in Bangor, Maine . The team played in the Northeast League (now the Can-Am League ). The Northeast League was an independent baseball league and as such none of its teams had an affiliation with Major League Baseball . The team existed from 1996 to 1997 and played its home games at Larry Mahaney Diamond on the campus of the University of Maine in Orono, Maine . The Northeast League played its first season in 1995 with all six teams located in
92-567: A permanent minor-league park. The team was sold to new ownership and moved to Quebec City for the 1998 season; the franchise still exists as the Québec Capitales . Other players with Major League experience included pitcher Mike Smith in 1996, (five seasons with the Reds, Pirates, and Expos), and in 1997 Fernando Ramsey (one season with the Cubs), outfielder Bob Zupcic (four seasons with
115-481: A reconstruction of the original scoreboard from Yankee Stadium among various other things. A skybox was constructed as part of the museum, and has very limited access. Berra was the primary user of the seats, as he made personal appearances at least twice per year to sign autographs for the fans until 2015; he died several days after the conclusion of that season. The Jackals have also allowed the skybox to be used by professional scouts attending games. The museum addition
138-483: A statue of Berra that was placed outside of the stadium in front of the museum. In 2022, the Jackals announced that they would be leaving Yogi Berra Stadium for Hinchliffe Stadium in nearby Paterson . August 25, 2022, was the team's last regular season home game. For many years, the stadium's official address was 1 Hall Drive, honoring the team's founder. In early 2016, as a further honor for its deceased namesake,
161-455: A team to the city would induce the city of Bangor to build a new ballpark for the team; in the meantime, the Ox would play their home games at Mahaney Diamond on the University of Maine campus in Orono . The Blue Ox would have a fairly successful season in their first year, finishing third with a 46-33 record. Bangor's starting rotation was led by former Major Leaguer Oil Can Boyd , who at age 36
184-747: Is a baseball stadium in Little Falls, New Jersey , on the campus of Montclair State University . The stadium is home to the Montclair State Red Hawks baseball team, which competes in NCAA Division III ; the NJIT Highlanders baseball team which competes in NCAA Division I ; and the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center , which adjoins the stadium on its first base side. It was formerly home to
207-497: Is capable of holding overflow crowds with standing room and grass seating available in right field. These tickets are sold only in the event of an anticipated large crowd, such as on holidays or fireworks nights. Construction of the stadium was done in conjunction with another venue on the Montclair State campus. Floyd Hall , a resident of Montclair who was then serving as chief executive officer of Kmart , donated money to
230-555: The New Jersey Jackals of the independent Frontier League from 1998 to 2022 and the part-time home of the NY/NJ Comets of National Pro Fastpitch in 2013. In 2001, the stadium was the home field of the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse in their inaugural season. Yogi Berra Stadium has a capacity of 5,000 persons with permanent seating of 3,784 people and lawn seating which holds an additional 1,500. It
253-507: The Blue Ox would finish the season at 40-43, sixth place. Attendance did not improve, with just 35,591 fans showing up, again next-to-last in the NEL. At the end of the 1997 season, it was clear that Bangor would not be building a new stadium anytime soon (as of 2021, the city still hasn't done so). Although Mahaney Diamond was a very suitable college baseball field, it was simply not designed to be
SECTION 10
#1732802299782276-438: The Jackals changed this to 8 Yogi Berra Drive. In 2018, the Jackals installed a new 720 sq ft (67 m ) Daktronics HD LED video board in left field as part of stadium wide improvements. Ahead of the 2024 season, Montclair State and NJIT carried out a $ 5.3 million renovation of the stadium. The renovations included a new artificial turf field, a pitch counter, a new dugout to bullpen phone, replacement of
299-425: The Montclair State baseball team from using the new park (they remained at Pittser Field for one additional season; Pittser Field was then converted into a soccer only stadium), it opened for business in time for the Jackals' inaugural game on June 5, 1998. Despite the stadium only being partially finished, as construction on an addition continued throughout the season, fans hungry for economical entertainment flocked to
322-700: The Red Sox and White Sox), pitcher Joe Grahe (seven seasons with the Angels, Rockies, and Phillies), and pitcher George Tsamis (one season with the Twins). Each season featured a skipper who had played in the Major Leagues. In 1996, former infielder/outfielder Dick Phillips, who had already managed almost 1,500 minor league games in the Twins, Padres and Brewers systems before piloting Bangor, played four seasons in
345-532: The State of New York ; however, only three of these clubs would return for a second season. The NEL wanted to expand into New England and it chose West Warwick, Rhode Island and Bangor—which had not seen a pro baseball team in over 80 years—as two new teams for the 1996 season (also, Elmira was added to round the roster out to six teams again). The Blue Ox and the Northeast League had hoped that moving
368-465: The ball park for a fun night out, and the park is well-constructed with good sight lines and no obstructed views from any of its seats. The park's dimensions are 308 feet to each of the corner outfields and 398 to center field; according to the Jackals, this was done on purpose as another honor for Berra. An addition was constructed to house the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center , which features various baseball memorabilia from Berra's playing days and
391-559: The concession area was renovated and renamed "The Hill" in reference to Yogi Berra’s boyhood neighborhood, The Hill , in St. Louis and the elevated Red Hawks perch for the stadium and campus. The renovations enable to the stadium be a year round facility by hosting conferences, NCAA baseball tournaments and other high-profile events. 40°52′07″N 74°11′43″W / 40.868734°N 74.195247°W / 40.868734; -74.195247 Bangor Blue Ox The Bangor Blue Ox were
414-580: The franchise’s former name of Rockland Boulders for the season. Major leaguers Vin Mazzaro and Taylor Motter played in the league. The league featured players from independent, affiliated minor league, and college baseball. Initially, a 32 game, 8-week regular season was reported, but as games not played due to inclement weather were canceled, teams wound up playing fewer games. All games were scheduled for 7 innings and held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Contests tied after 7 innings used
437-517: The league shortly thereafter and founded the Jackals, who were promptly given use of the new stadium once it was able to open. It was decided to name the stadium after Hall of Fame New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra , who called Montclair home during his playing days and managerial career with the Yankees and their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets . Despite construction delays keeping
460-469: The outfield walls, new storage facility, updated locker room, new bullpens and batting cages , a new scoreboard and signage celebrating the Red Hawk’s three National Champion teams (1987, 1993, 2000). New LED lighting was installed that is more energy efficient, environmentally friendly and meets broadcasting standards that will allow games to be televised on ESPN and other national networks. Additionally,
483-508: The university in order to build an ice arena, which is known as Floyd Hall Arena and is a multi-use facility that several of the area's high school hockey teams call home, and a new baseball stadium for Montclair State's team to replace their previous venue, Pittser Field . Around this time the Northeast League, an independent minor baseball league, was looking for a team to replace the Bangor Blue Ox , which had folded. Hall bought into
SECTION 20
#1732802299782506-415: Was attempting a comeback. Boyd would finish the season at 10-0 with a 3.22 ERA, but ultimately would not return to the majors. They were more successful on the field than they were at the box office, though, drawing only 35,652 fans, barely 900 per game and next-to-last in the loop. In 1997, the Northeast League would take on the remnants of the failed North Atlantic League and expand to eight teams overall;
529-502: Was completed following the 1998 season and the final phase of construction was completed in early 1999 as the seating areas were renovated and extended, with seats going as far as left and right field and several reserved sections being replaced with box seats, installation of several concession stands and a second set of restrooms, a new team store, and a resurfacing of the stadium's walls with white stucco . In 2010, world-renowned sculptor Brian Hanlon of Toms River, New Jersey sculpted
#781218